Beach Babe to the Max

I’ve spent a lot of time at the beach this summer. Nearly every weekend since May as a matter of fact. One might say I’m maintaining that coveted bronzed beach babe look (laughs).

Going to the beach used to mean day trips down to the Jersey Shore or week-long family vacations to Ocean City, Maryland; Wildwood, New Jersey; Seaside Heights, New Jersey; and so forth. You get the picture.

Beach trips these days consist of carloads of friends, coolers, snacks and posting up at the hipsterrific Fort Tilden. I say hipsterrific in the most endearing of ways. Think tattoos, topless broads, hipster haircuts, retro swimsuits and makeshift forts made from ironic materials found scattered along the beach or brought from Williamsburg.

From time to time, one might happen upon a naked hippie couple swimming happily in the waves. Last weekend I spotted the first beach-goer with a metal detector. It’s always a gamble what one will happen upon at Tiden. And there are no lifegaurds, so respect the ocean and swim with caution.

Fort Tilden is actually a beautiful, protected beach on an old military base and a quick escape from city life. I’m fortunate enough to have friends with cars but one can take the Fort Tilden van, the A to the bus, the ferry or even travel by bike.

My friends and I have a ritual: Fort Tilden followed by New Park Pizzeria pizza. Sometimes we mix it up with Rockaway Taco. No matter what, it’s always a blast — even when we’re seemingly going against Mother Nature and the supposed afternoon thunderstorms glaring at us on the local forecast.

As summer quietly nears its end, I am well aware these beach trips will begin to dwindle just like the season itself. I plan to go every weekend until that happens.